Matt Hagan, the four-time NHRA World Champion, continued his trek to a fifth Funny Car championship by driving the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge//SRT Hellcat to his 54th career NHRA national event victory at the NHRA Midwest Nationals.

After placing runner-up the previous weekend at Charlotte, Hagan and his American Rebel Light Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat looked strong immediately with a spectacular 3.868 qualifying pass on Friday to take the second position in the 16-driver field at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, which enjoyed several sold-out crowds during the three-day NHRA national event.

The Virginia driver then ripped off 3.90s in each of the four rounds of eliminations to score his second 2025 NHRA victory after taking top honors at the Seattle event. The victory moved Hagan within 20 points of leader Austin Prock with three races remaining in the 20-event national tour.

A fifth world title for Hagan would vault him into NHRA drag racing lore by passing legends Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein, who each collected four NHRA Funny Car crowns during their careers. Only John Force, with 16 championships, has more than Hagan, Prudhomme and Bernstein in the Funny Car division.

In the final round, Hagan’s nitro-burning machine recorded a 3.979 to Jack Beckman’s 4.032 after Hagan took out Alex Laughlin with a 3.964 pass, Cruz Pedregon with a 3.988 and Daniel Wilkerson with a 3.990 in earlier rounds.

“I was looking forward to shaving the mustache, but it looks like we have to keep it now with the win,” said Hagan. “We knew coming into this race that we were all chasing Austin (Prock). He’s won eight races this year, but no one is infallible. We had to be ready if they messed up. Mike Knudsen (crew chief), Phil Shuler (co-crew chief), Alex Conaway (car chief) and all of my guys worked so hard all day. The right lane was bumpy, and they navigated those bumps really well. I felt good about the racecar.”

“My lights came around and that gave me confidence going into the next couple rounds. That’s the stuff that makes you a strong team. It is great to have outstanding sponsors like American Rebel Light, Dodge//SRT, Direct Connection and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. I wake up some days and pinch myself that this is my job. We’re back in this hunt for the championship.”

NHRA Napa MidWest Nationals – Funny Car Class Summary

WIN: Matt Hagan – 3.979 secs 329.32 mph (Career win #54)

R/UP: Jack Beckman – 4.032 secs 314.83 mph

Low ET: Austin Prock – 3.845 secs

Top MPH: Bob Tasca III – 337.33 mph

Bump: 4.531

Entries – 16 cars

Posted with files by Tom Blattler & Bruce Biegler

Photos courtesy of NHRA

Tony Stewart Racing

Chad Green Racing